More Than Allies
by Mercedes88
Summary: What happens when Peeta's close proximity to a potential ally pushes a few of Katniss' buttons? Rated K , but it's pretty safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hi all - while I'm not new to writing fanfiction, I am new to writing for the Hunger Games. This idea came to me when I was watching the scene in Catching Fire when Haymitch approaches Katniss and Peeta about who they want as allies. All descriptions are based on the movie, so Peeta's eyes are hazel not blue, etc.

I should be posting the next chapter soon. I would love to hear your feedback!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**More Than Allies**

"Good news. At least half the tributes want you as an ally."

Haymitch Abernathy's booming announcement broke the relatively quiet evening as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark lounged on the couch in the living room of the Penthouse suite reserved for District 12 tributes.

By tacit agreement and ingrained habit, they had gravitated there after dinner to watch old videos of previous Games, while Haymitch had been making the rounds among the other victors to suss out prospective alliances.

"Well, they saw her shoot." Peeta supplied, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Well, Sweetheart, you've got your pick of the litter." Haymitch prompted.

Katniss wasted no time in naming her first choice. "I want Wiress and Beetee."

Having stood upon Haymitch's entrance, Peeta crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Johanna calls them Nuts and Voltz."

Relieved that Katniss was at least willing to make alliances now - a huge hurdle in keeping either of his victors alive in the Quarter Quell - Haymitch kept his focus on her. Peeta would most likely fall in step with her decisions anyway. "Well, ok, good. Who else?"

"Mags."

Peeta turned away, disbelief and frustration washing over his features.

Sensitive to Peeta's sudden and intense displeasure, Katniss shot him an uncertain look then shrugged in surrender. "Alright, fine. Then no one."

Haymitch glanced between his two tributes, realizing that perhaps his earlier assumption had been wrong.

Especially tonight.

A deeper issue than just the choice of allies was brewing between the star-crossed lovers from District 12. That much was evident at dinner. Between Peeta's feeble attempts at conversation and Katniss' grunted replies to everything Peeta said, everything Peeta did, well - to _everything_ Peeta-related, Haymitch had been grateful for a reason to escape.

That they were even in the same room together now was nothing short of a miracle. But they were. And now, Haymitch was at a loss for any appropriate quips to address the rising tension in the room. More interested in the task at hand then wading into the middle of the conflicted messiness of Katniss and Peeta, Haymitch reasoned that Peeta would find a way to melt the frozen tundra surrounding the Capitol's Girl on Fire - their own personal Ice Queen.

He always did.

Haymitch exited gratefully with a temporary decision made. "I'll...tell them you're still making up your mind."

A few minutes later, a staccato sigh punctuated the tense silence that had permeated the room since Haymitch's departure. Katniss' gaze never left the television screen that loomed large before them as she curtly addressed the immediate cause of her internal frustration. "You don't want Mags. You don't want Wiress and Beetee. Then tell me, Peeta, who_ do_ you want as an ally?"

Peeta answered without hesitation. "Finnick."

She turned to Peeta, her expression full of surprise and disdain. "You want that pompous, preening O'Dair as an ally?"

"Yes, I do." Peeta plopped back down on the couch, eager to state his case. He ticked off numerous reasons on his fingers. "He's a good fighter. He's young, smart. Knows his way around an arena. _And_ he's a Capitol darling, so sponsors should be easy to come by."

"Maybe." Katniss conceded the well-reasoned points reluctantly after a moment of quiet reflection. She leaned back into the softness of the cushions, her expression sharpening with concentration. "Alright then, who else?"

"Johanna Mason." With the scoffing roll of Katniss' eyes, Peeta quickly reengaged. "What? She's worth taking a look at."

"Seems like you've already gotten an eye full." The scowl on Katniss' face deepened.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Peeta asked sharply.

"Nothing." Katniss' mumble was barely audible as she agitatedly picked at invisible fuzz on the muli-colored throw bunched in her lap.

"Katniss..."

Unable to dismiss the prompt in his gently commanding tone, Katniss shrugged, her eyes remained averted from his scrutinizing gaze. "Well, it's true. You spent most of your day with her. She was all over you at lunch and you've been sulking all night tonight because I didn't want to go to the party she's throwing, even though, she clearly wanted the boy that 'the whole world wants to sleep with' there..."

The mocking lilt of her voice wasn't lost on Peeta.

"She invited us both." Gathering and releasing a calming sigh, Peeta countered. "And you let her push your buttons way too much."

"I do not." Katniss shot back. "And she only invited me because I was standing right there next to you when she asked. She had no choice."

Shaking his head, an exasperated Peeta jumped from the couch and crossed to the side bar which was laden with every scrumptious delicacy the Capitol had to offer its victors. Like an exquisite last meal for the condemned.

If there was one thing Katniss Everdeen excelled at, it was surprising him. He'd been completely caught off guard with her foul mood at dinner, which was clearly directed at him. He had no idea what he'd done that had prompted her usually sulky demeanor to disintegrate into downright petulance.

But with the direction of the current conversation, he had a feeling he was about to find out.

Peeta dropped ice cubes into a glass and poured himself his favorite drink, his answer tossed over his shoulder. "I couldn't care less about that party and I spent the day with her because she likes to talk. Which means that I got some good intel on the other victors."

"Good intel? And how do you know she isn't lying to you?"

"I just do." Peeta turned, drink in hand, and headed back to the couch.

Katniss unfolded herself and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees as she caught Peeta with a piercing gaze. "You've known this girl less than 24 hours, but you already trust her enough to put our lives into her hands. Why?" Try as she might, Katniss couldn't tamp down the agitation coursing through her. "Because she stripped in front of you in the elevator?"

Peeta's face pinched in irritation. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Me?" Katniss scoffed. "No, that's the way _you_ act around _her_."

Rare anger flashed through Peeta's hazel eyes. "Look, if this is about our star-crossed lover charade, believe me, its still in tact."

"This isn't about that." Katniss dismissed the thought with a careless waver of her hand. "This goes _way_ beyond that."

"Really? How so?" Peeta challenged.

And in that moment, with that one question, all of the days' events came rushing back to Katniss. The snide remarks. The knowing smirks. Every last button Katniss didn't even know she had being pushed by one red-headed victor determined to use Peeta Mellark to get under her skin.

And succeeding spectacularly.

"Out of all the tributes, you pick the rudest, most hot headed, brash, unlikable..."

Suddenly amused, Peeta started to chuckle as a slow, unexpected grin spread over his lips, interrupting Katniss' train of thought and drawing a curt "What?" from her.

"Katniss. According to half of the country...you just described you."

"I am _nothing_ like Johanna Mason." Instantly bristling, Katniss shot back hotly.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." Still amused, Peeta's voice had a teasing lilt to it as his eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Please." Katniss dismissed caustically, a prominent pout forming on her lips. "That girl doesn't have a _single_ thing that I would want."

As swiftly as it came, his amusement disappeared.

"Right." Taking her response into rarely charted waters, Peeta bristled and nodded curtly. "I guess that would include my attention."

Katniss' breath caught. Her eyes flicked upward in time to see the pain flash through Peeta's eyes. Realizing how she hadn't just stepped into an awkwardly sensitive area, she'd dived in headfirst without thinking of the damage it could do to an already confusing alliance, Katniss deflated. "Peeta, I...I didn't mean..."

An unreadable mask dropped over his features. His voice hardened. And his eyes...his eyes had taken on that look that Katniss had seen before. The one that haunted her in the months between the end of the Hunger Games and the start of the Victory Tour.

Distant. Cold. Trying to hide the gaping wounds her own words and actions had inflicted on him.

And failing miserably.

"Don't worry, Katniss. I get it. Jealousy would require you to actually feel something for me and we both know the score on that one, don't we?"

"Peeta..."

"No, no. It's ok. Really." Peeta stopped her protest with an upraised hand. "I mean, its not like you're going to fall in love with me or anything, right?" His shrug was defiant. His tone hopeless. "Believe me, I won't ever make the mistake of thinking _that_ again."

Agitated, Peeta ended any chance of further conversation when he rounded the coffee table, bounded up the few short steps and headed toward the exit of the Penthouse suite.

"Wait. Where do you think you're going?" Katniss called out after him.

"I don't know. Maybe a party is _exactly_ what I need right now."

The door slammed behind him before Katniss Everdeen even had a chance to take her next breath.

Tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Happy Memorial Day weekend for those in the U.S.! Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows. I truly appreciate you giving this story a chance and the support you've shown.

This chapter is primarily internal dialogue to give both Peeta and Katniss' POV. A huge, huge conversation is coming in the next chapter which should be out very soon. I know that per cannon, Katniss is a little OOC here, in that at this point of Catching Fire, she's not even thinking about feelings, etc, etc. But that's the point of this story - to force her into a position where her feeling for Peeta have to be addressed in some way. I hope attempting this, I've kept true to the essence of Katniss.

I would love to hear what you think of the story so far so please review if you have a few minutes.

Other than that, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Peeta Mellark had always prided himself on being nothing like his mother.

His temper was rare. He always managed to find the positive in even the most desperate situations. And while he'd been given the gift of words, he'd never learned his mother's knack for finding one's weakness and tearing them down with a sharp and well-chosen insult.

Which was why, as Peeta stormed into the penthouse floor's waiting elevator, he felt a sense of shame wash over him. He spun around ready to punch something. A button. A wall. The closing doors.

But he froze instead.

_What_ just happened? And _why_?

Katniss had never been that...that...

What? Possessive? No. No, that wasn't possible. Jealous? He wouldn't even let himself dare hope.

Envious? Maybe. In truth, Katniss had always been the center of attention in their little Capitol-controlled world. Especially after she shot that arrow at Seneca Crane's stuffed pig. In fact, if it weren't for Katniss, Peeta doubted anyone would have ever really given him a second thought, even a glance. After all, nobody really needed him. Or wanted him, for that matter.

Which is what made his interactions with Johanna Mason all that more intriguing.

Despite his protestations to the contrary, Peeta wasn't oblivious to Johanna's antics. He just didn't take them as seriously as Katniss apparently did.

But now on second thought, maybe he should.

It wasn't as if he'd never been flirted with before. He had. But he had to admit…there was something about Johanna's laser-like focus on building him up, stroking his ego and insinuating that Katniss didn't know how good she had it, how lucky she was, that made a part of him recoil in caution even as he boldly primed the well of her knowledge.

It was almost as if, by taunting Katniss as she whispered sweet words of overt praise in Peeta's metaphorical ear, Johanna was purposely trying to drive a wedge between the District 12 victors. Or that she was testing him somehow.

Because it was all really rather ridiculous. To think Katniss was the lucky one when clearly _she_ put the 'star' in star-crossed lovers. Even now, there were times Peeta felt as if he could disappear from the portrait of their lives and barely be missed. That he was merely the necessary, but replaceable, backdrop to a much larger drama playing out for some invisible audience.

Which, to be honest, wasn't that far from the truth.

For even though he and Katniss were joint victors of the 74th Hunger Games, _she _was the Girl on Fire. And Peeta? Well, he was just the boy who loved her.

Peeta shook his head and ran his fingers through his blonde locks in agitation.

_God, if that weren't true, this whole thing – from choosing allies to my inevitable death – would be so much easier to manage._

But it _was_ true. Oddly enough, that thought alone brought just as much calm to his troubled mind as it did trouble to his calming heart.

With a weary sigh, Peeta turned to face an ironic metaphor for his own reality as the elevator began to move of its own volition. Through its glass walls, Peeta saw the Capitol spread out below him like a glittering jewel. Beautiful. Distant. Growing closer, but still unattainable.

Just like Katniss.

He'd been such a fool in the first Games. Thinking he knew her, that he was in love with her. When it came right down to it, he didn't know a damn thing. The dream of Katniss that he'd carried around in his head all of those years was just that - a dream. And as much as he would always cherish the little girl with two braids that captured his everlasting attention, he knew now that he loved the woman Katniss was becoming so much more than he'd ever thought possible.

Even with all of her rough edges, all of her faults.

That she was seemingly oblivious - even now - to his obvious feelings, made for some very long days and even longer nights. To believe that she dreamed of another even as she took comfort in the safety of his arms, tested the limits of his love to degrees he didn't know existed. And to know in his heart of hearts that she would never be truly his even as they acted out his own dreams before all of Panem, sent a dagger into his heart at the beginning of each and every day.

Because none of it was real.

No, to her, every kiss, every smile, every caress was one long elaborate show for President Snow and the people of Panem. A way to quell the rising storm rolling through the districts. The means used to protect her family and loved ones.

As far as Katniss was concerned, she and Peeta were nothing more than allies.

Still, if all of that was the price he had to pay to be near her in his last days on earth, he would pay it a thousand times over.

He knew that like he knew his own name.

Having reasoned his way into relative calm, Peeta pushed himself away from the railing of the elevator, turned and stepped up to the panel that would take him to his next destination. As he weighed his options – a party where he could forget who he was, where he was, for just a little while or back to the sweetest torture he would ever know – the doors slid opened to reveal a third option.

"Why, Peeta Mellark." Dressed to seduce in a skin-tight, barely-there sequined dress that revealed the tattoo encircling her belly button, Johanna Mason' coy smile curved her lips upward as her hungry gaze swept over him. "_What _a coincidence. _You_ were _just_ the man I was looking for."

Peeta shifted uncomfortably and glanced longingly at the escape waiting for him just beyond one bare, freckled shoulder. "Actually, Johanna, I…"

Like a ravenous predator swooping in for its next meal, the attack was swift and unexpected. Before Peeta Mellark could react, his back hit the wall, her warm, supple body pinned him in place and her lips swallowed any further words of protest with an explosive kiss designed to make him forget that the Girl on Fire had ever existed…

* * *

It was two-thirty in the morning and Katniss Everdeen hadn't slept a wink.

The earlier fight with Peeta was weighing heavily on her mind.

And her heart.

As she tossed and turned and hit the fluffiness out of her pillow at least a dozen times, the questions came hard and fast.

Why had it irritated her so much that Peeta had spent so much time with Johanna? Why had her gut twisted into a knot at every smile he tossed Johanna's way? Or every time he laughed at one of Johanna's stupid jokes? And why had she picked a fight with him over it when he was the last person that deserved to be blamed for the situation they were in? Because thinking back on how things had played out, that's exactly what she'd done.

But the burning question she kept coming back to time and time again? Could Peeta be _right_? _Could_ she be jealous?

It wasn't really something she'd ever felt before, let alone considered. Not even with Gale, who she knew had spent time with other girls, had kissed them and – only _they_ knew what else. But even the knowing had never put this sick feeling in the pit of her stomach or the unexpected ache in the general vicinity of her heart the way watching Peeta with Johanna had.

So if she _was_ jealous, what did that even mean? Did it mean she had feelings for Peeta? And if so, what exactly _were_ those feelings? And just how deeply did they run?

No. No, no, no. She couldn't think that way. She had to stay focused and alert. And thoughts like that - _feelings _like that - they could only lead to trouble. If she had even the slightest chance of saving him, she couldn't risk getting in too deep...

Something deep inside of her twisted.

It was an instinct, a knowing, that she was already past the point of no return when it came to Peeta Mellark. She had, after all, chosen to turn her back on her family and friends, her future, everything she knew and loved - had chosen death, in fact – in order to focus on one goal and one goal only.

And she didn't even think about it.

The desire to keep Peeta alive came as natural to her as breathing.

And over-powered her in a way that few things in her life ever had.

The thunderous ticking of the clock in the still and silent room only served to remind Katniss that Peeta wasn't where he belonged – by _her_ side. In _her_ bed. Holding_ her_ in a strong, warm cocoon of peace and contentment.

After all, he was so much more than just her ally.

He was her fellow victor. Her partner, friend. Her dandelion when all hope was…

With a groan of frustration, Katniss abruptly ended that train of thought, flipped the covers off of her and sat up, relinquishing her fight against sleeplessness.

Where in the world _was _he?

Her mind began spinning in directions previously uncharted. What if he _had _gone to Johanna's? What if her worldly earthiness had drawn him in? What if he was _still _there? What could they possibly be doing together at this hour?

Images from the day's practice assaulted her mind. Johanna's hand slowly sliding down Peeta's muscled arm and closing over his large hand as she coached him on the best way to handle an ax. How she shimmied her way into the circle of his arms as he showed her how to lift a heavy weight. The close proximity of their bodies as Peeta gently moved his paintbrush over pale skin, transforming freckles into little lady bugs perched on the tree branch formed from her collarbone.

A revolting, nauseating thought hit her.

Before an image of Peeta and Johanna _together_ could fully form, suddenly – mercifully – there was a light tap on her door. She felt the weight that had been pressing in on her lift off her chest and with it, came her first real breath in hours. She'd know that tap anywhere.

As a strange and conflicting mixture of relief and irritation, joy and anger rushed through her, she was momentarily paralyzed into inactivity.

It didn't matter that her every instinct screamed at her to rush to the door, throw it open and bridge the intolerable distance she had created. _He _had been the one to walk out on her in a huff. To willfully misunderstand her. To worry her into sleeplessness with his prolonged absence.

But above all?

Peeta Mellark had unwittingly forced her to face her own heart with all of its mysterious and intensely confusing emotions. Emotions that she now realized had been simmering just under the surface for months. Silently, steadily growing, evolving. And waiting for the chance to be discovered. Explored. Experienced.

And now that she was just beginning to understand what Peeta Mellark meant to her…

Katniss Everdeen had no choice but to tuck it all away and pretend.

Pretend that she didn't need him.

Pretend that he didn't stir something deep within her.

Pretend…that Peeta Mellark was nothing more than an ally.

Tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** Once again, I want to thank you for sticking with me on this story and for all for the reviews, favorites and follows. Your support is greatly appreciated. I have one more chapter planned which will be all Katniss and Peeta. Given some reactions to the Johanna/Peeta portion of the last chapter, I thought it best to clear that part up right away. Some of you guys sounded worried... :)

I would love to hear what you think so take a moment to review if you can. Either way I hope you enjoy the next part!

* * *

**Chapter 3  
**

_Three hours earlier..._

"So?" Finnick O'Dair asked impatiently the second Johanna Mason stormed into a small studio apartment where the Capitol's cameras were blissfully absent. Finnick had stumbled onto this gem years ago shortly after beginning his career of trading his talents for secrets. The price had been a high one to pay, but it had been worth it for a little freedom over the years. Freedom and clandestine meetings such as this one. "What happened?"

Johanna dislodged a hair pin, two earrings and a bracelet in short order, tossing each with ferocious indignation to the floor. "Nothing. Not a damn thing."

"You're kidding."

"Do I _look_ like I'm kidding?" She shot back hotly. "I offered him…" She waved her hands over her body in a grand gesture of showmanship, the scowl on her face deepening. "…_all_ of _this_. Even gave him a little taste of what he could have with a kiss that still has _my_ head spinning. And he turned me down flat." She threw her hands up in animated disgust. "Said he couldn't do that to Katniss. That he loved her too much, and that I wasn't his type. Can you believe that? Me. Not _his _type?"

Amusement sparking in Finnick's sea-blue eyes led to a knowing smirk as his gaze shifted to the person sitting across the table from him. The one that had endorsed their little scheme. "Well, I'll be. Looks like you were right, Haymitch."

Haymitch Abernathy raised a flask of liquor as if saluting his unseen victor before taking a swig. "Told ya to prepare for disappointment." His appreciative gaze took in every curve of Johanna's carefully wrapped package of seduction, prompting an attempt at appeasement. "Look, darlin', don't take it personal. You definitely have the goods to make it happen with any guy that isn't Peeta Mellark. He's just too far gone for Katniss for it to have ever worked."

Johanna scoffed as she shook out her hair and kicked off her shoes. "I don't get what he sees in that girl. Or how she's not all over him every chance she gets. A boy like that – all hard muscles, strong hands and soft lips…" Fanning herself and blowing out an overworked breath, Johanna took her place at the table. "He wouldn't last half a day back in my district."

She grabbed a beer and uncapped it as she made a further observation. "I was sure after training today that, at the very least, he'd be into making out on the downlow, but…" She doused her disappointment with a few gulps. "…even that was a non-starter."

Haymitch chuckled. "Like I told ya, training was about getting intel. Fact is, darlin', Peeta played you without breaking a sweat. And I dare say, without even realizing that was, in fact, what he was doing. He's just that damn sincere." Haymitch tilted his flask in Johanna's direction and pointed a cautionary finger at her. "So, don't go blaming _him _because _you_ fell for it."

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Peeta's the perfection we should all strive to be."

"I mean it, Johanna." Haymitch reiterated, his tone sharpening. "No paybacks, no fury of a woman scorned crap. He's off limits in the arena. That was the whole point of me coming to the two of you. If we even have a chance to make this work, the boy stays in mint condition. _That_ is non-negotiable."

"Relax, Haymitch. I'm not into kicking innocent puppies, ok?" Johanna replied flippantly.

Finnick reengaged to get the conversation back on track. "Alright, then. You proved your point. Peeta's all in." Finnick leaned forward, all business, and pinned Haymitch with a pointed look. "But what about Katniss? We all know the game here, Haymitch. That whole star-crossed lover pitch was too convenient, too perfectly timed to be real for both of them."

"You're right." Haymitch conceded. "Truth is, Peeta's been all in since the beginning. Katniss on the other hand, is hard headed and stubborn. It takes her a bit longer to figure some things out. Especially pesky little things like feelings and such."

"So, then, I was right." Finnick surmised. "None of this is real for her."

"I didn't say that, now, did I?" Haymitch rejoined.

"So…she _is_ in love with him." Johanna concluded.

"I didn't say that either." Haymitch countered cryptically.

Blowing out a breath of frustration, Johanna's blue eyes sparked with irritation. "Haymitch, would you at least try to make some sense here?"

"Alright." Haymitch drawled as he leaned back in his chair, his lips pursed and his gaze lifted in contemplation. "If there's one thing Katniss doesn't want, it's to be in love. So, whether she is or isn't, doesn't matter here because the idea isn't even on her radar. Right now, she's all about survival and protecting the people that are important to her."

"And do those people include Peeta?" Finnick asked.

"She made me promise to save his life this time. His. Not hers." Haymitch admitted. "What does that tell you?" Not waiting for an answer, Haymitch continued. "Look, I've been with these two every step of the way, and I'm telling you, Peeta isn't just a means to an end for her. Hell, she probably doesn't even realize it yet, but she needs him like you need Annie and you…" Haymitch turned his attention briefly to Johanna. "…need your anger. He protects her, inspires her, in ways that can't be measured or seen. And I'm not over-selling it when I say that without Peeta Mellark, there is no Girl on Fire. And we all know that without _her_…"

"There's no Mockingjay." Finnick finished for him.

Johanna added, "No revolution."

"No future." Haymitch concluded, having made his closing arguments before closing the deal. "So. What's it gonna be? Can we count on you to help in the arena?"

Johanna and Finnick shared a look that spoke volumes. Johanna nodded her assent then let Finnick voice their combined decision.

"We're in. You have yourself two new allies."

"Good. Very good." Haymitch nodded with satisfaction. "Now, let's just hope our two victors have found a way to patch up their own alliance. Because if they don't, it's gonna be one helluva bumpy ride…"

* * *

Another tap sounded at the door, this time louder.

To steel her resolve and shore up her defenses, Katniss Everdeen reached for one of the many emotions that had fueled her restlessness: impossible, unexplainable exasperation.

"Who is it?" Katniss called out curtly to her unseen visitor.

"You know who." Came the muffled reply.

"What do you want?"

"I'm tired, it's late, and I wanna go to sleep." Tired? He sounded downright weary. As if he'd been out fighting a battle of his own.

"Don't you have your own bed for that?"

A heavy sigh. "Come on, Katniss. You know I can't sleep without you." A pause. A soft confession. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. About what I said. I...went too far. And you didn't deserve that."

That was clearly a reference to his jab about Katniss not being in love with him. Something inside of Katniss chaffed at the very thought that Peeta truly believed she had never felt anything for him.

Or ever could.

"Katniss?"

The soft timbre of his unspoken plea broke Katniss out of her thoughts and prompted action. Katniss jumped out of bed and made it to the door in a few short strides. She opened it, revealing to Peeta her tired face, dulled eyes and the deep frown that had taken up residence since his earlier departure.

As soon as she opened the door, she knew it was a mistake.

For she had been right. He didn't just sound like he'd been in a battle, he looked it as well. Blonde hair was disheveled as curls haphazardly cut into the smooth bronze of his forehead. Generous lips were drawn into a tight line and his sincere, gentle gaze was confidently, calmly resigned to inevitable defeat.

Which was a huge problem.

Because if there was one thing Katniss Everdeen couldn't resist, it was a resigned Peeta Mellark.

After all, it was _that_ Peeta that had made her leave the safety of the cave determined to risk her life for the medicine that would keep him in the world a little while longer.

_That_ Peeta that sparked her act of rebellion against the Capitol.

_That_ Peeta that had somehow slipped through all of her defenses with his let's-be-friends-because-I-know-we'll-never-be-anything-more offer and made her feel things she had never wanted to feel.

Ever.

In her entire life.

Her slim frame blocked Peeta's entrance to her room as she leaned her shoulder against the doorjam and crossed her arms defensively in front of her. It was a physical deterrent to the internal urge to throw herself into his arms and forget every promise she'd just made to herself to deny her newly discovered feelings, keep her emotional distance, and focus solely on keeping him alive in the coming days. Instead, she openly scrutinized him, _really_ seeing him for what had to have been the hundredth time, but felt as fresh as the first.

And what she saw was devastating in its perfection.

She tamped down the desire to push his unruly hair back into place. At least there it wouldn't conjure up the adorable, little-boy look he was sporting. The one that sent pleasant butterflies dancing in the pit of her stomach and an intense need to protect him into every cell of her being. She ignored the itch of fingers that longed to trace the lines of his handsome face, that strong jawline, and take a dip in the light cleft of his chin. That wanted to smooth the frown lines away from those soft lips. Lips that she ached to feel moving against hers, sparking a fire that could easily take her over, but would never use her up, never destroy. Only fuel a stronger, more lasting fire. And she fought back the urge to hug away all of the obvious tension in his body, their hastily exchanged words and the distance and uncertainty her petulance had placed in those deep hazel eyes.

Instead, she cleared her throat and valiantly put on an air of indifference she simply didn't feel. "So? Did you enjoy the party?"

Mirroring her, Peeta casually leaned against the wall outside her door, arms folded. "I didn't go. I've been on the roof for the past three hours."

Katniss blinked in surprise. "Doing what?"

"Thinking."

An eyebrow hitched. "For three hours? That must have been some pretty heavy duty thinking."

"It was." Peeta conceded vaguely, his gaze shifting distractedly.

After his short run-in with Johanna in the elevator, Peeta felt completely out of sorts. He didn't want to go back to the Penthouse where he no longer felt up to the challenge of coming face to face with Katniss and her ever-changing moods. So, he went to find Haymitch instead, only Haymitch was nowhere to be found. Dropping in on Effie wasn't even an option as his nerves were already on edge. And love her as he did, there simply was no way he could handle her neurotic optimism tonight.

Not sure where to go or what to do, Peeta inexplicably found himself on the roof. It had been so peaceful there, so quiet and serene, he soon found himself knee-deep in contemplation and before he knew it, time had moved on without him. If it hadn't been for his obvious need of sleep, he still might be up there trying to make some kind of sense of his life and inevitable death.

Curiosity piqued, Katniss couldn't help herself from asking an obvious question, bringing his attention back to the present. "So, what were you thinking about?"

"The arena. How little time we have left together. You." Peeta sighed heavily, hesitance and uncertainty evident in his faltering confession. "I don't…I don't want to spend what could be our last days together fighting, Katniss. Or pretending that I don't care for you when we both know that I do. Or…feeling like I'm alone in all of this."

"Neither do I." Katniss' unexpected reaction came out in a breathless whisper.

"Then let's don't." Peeta continued, emboldened by her response. "Let's rewind, if we can. Back to the beginning of this whole night. I am truly sorry for what I said. And I'm ok with whoever you choose as allies. If there's anyone here that I trust, Katniss...it's you."

All of the loneliness Katniss had been feeling, all of the doubts and fear, the frustration, suddenly, magically dissipated. In their place was a peace, a calm, a sudden hope that always seemed to wrap around her like a luxurious cloak, warming her, strengthening her whenever Peeta was near.

Instinctively responding to the pure goodness that _was_ Peeta, Katniss nodded her acceptance of his apology, and then made one of her own. "Me too. So, if you think Finnick and Johanna are worth considering, then...let's do it. Let's consider."

Peeta's lips pursed in thought. "Finnick, for sure. Johanna? Maybe not so much."

And the surprises kept coming. "Really? What changed your mind?"

Given Johanna's unexpected attack in the elevator, not to mention his adamant and unyielding rejection of her advances, Peeta seriously doubted Johanna was even an option anymore. But, Peeta reasoned, Katniss didn't need to know about all of that.

Peeta shrugged, the faintest hint of smile tugging at his lips. "You were right. She _is_ rude. Hot headed. Brash. Unlikable. And since I've already got my hands full with _you_..."

He flashed her a full-fledged Peeta Mellark grin.

And, despite her resolve and her best efforts, Katniss Everdeen melted.

Into a helpless puddle.

At his feet.

Peeta felt a weight roll off him as those gray Seam eyes unexpectedly began to twinkle and the little dimples at the corners of her lips dented, indicating her amusement. Her openness. Her willingness to meet him halfway. And as she stepped back, opening the door wide and holding out her hand to him, his heart swelled at the silent, but obvious, invitation.

And Katniss Everdeen?

With that teasing, all-for-her smile, with those warm, sparkling eyes came a moment of perfect clarity. In that moment, she knew she wasn't alone. Believed that even in losing she would win. Felt as invincible as a raging inferno.

All because Peeta Mellark was on her side.

And because he was right – that they only had a few short days left together – now was not the time to waste pretending she didn't need him.

Or that he didn't stir something deep within her.

Or that Peeta Mellark was nothing more than an ally.

Tbc…


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all - For those still waiting for this story, I'm sorry it's taken so long. Have been traveling and then there's work and real life. Anyway, here's the end of this story. Again, I know Katniss will be OOC here, but the point was to put her in a place where she would realize/acknowledge her feelings for Peeta, despite her obtuseness at this point in the real story/movie.**

**Hope you enjoy and would love to hear your feedback.**

**Thanks for your support!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark didn't speak again until they were settled in bed. Their bodies in perfect alignment. Peeta's arm around Katniss. Her head resting on his shoulder, her hand gravitating to the center of his chest where Peeta's hand joined hers in silent, instinctive companionship.

Peace and contentment washed over Katniss as Peeta's finger sought and threaded through hers, securing them, claiming them. As her eyes drifted closed, her lips curved into a ridiculously blissful smile that she herself would scorn – and had – on anyone else.

But here? Now? With Peeta?

Katniss Everdeen simply didn't care how ridiculous it was. Or how unrealistic. Or unwise.

She could literally feel Peeta's gentle strength and innate goodness, his comforting warmth, soaking into her skin and seeping into her bones.

In her entire life, she had never felt so ironically safe.

Or profoundly cherished.

Unalterably whole.

And with that realization came wonder. And awe. And questions.

So many questions.

Like, when exactly _had _Peeta Mellark's arms become her solace, her sanctuary, her home? When had his smile filled her up with so much hope and determination that not even certain doom could keep her from fighting with every fiber of her being against insurmountable odds? When had his soulful eyes found and coaxed to life the very part of her that she thought had been buried with her father in the mines? And how had he woven himself so firmly into the fabric of her life that, without him, a huge hole would exist and spread until there was no life left to live?

It had all happened so slowly, so silently, so effortlessly, she couldn't pinpoint the exact moment.

It was as if he'd always been there.

Waiting.

Waiting for the moment when she knew with perfect certainty that she'd always belonged here.

In his arms. By his side. Not knowing where she ended and he began.

It was in the space between the steady beats of Peeta's heart that these profound realizations swirling around in her brain gave Katniss a strange, unsettling courage. Before she could stop herself or consider the consequences, she made an unexpectedly daring confession.

"I didn't like it today. When you spent so much time with her."

A hint of amusement coated each word. "I told you, Katniss, I was only trying to get information."

"Doesn't matter." Katniss replied, her voice soft but firm, with an undeniable trace of petulance. Like a child stomping her foot in adamant displeasure. "I still didn't like it. And I didn't like the way she looked at you. Or how she took every opportunity to touch you. And I _really_ didn't like that you let her."

"Katniss..."

"I don't...I don't know what that all means…exactly."

Surprised not only by the bold admission, but the obvious implication behind it, Peeta's arm tightened around her shoulder as the warm breath of his contented sigh stirred the curls at the crown of her head. She could hear the pleased smile slipping through his voice. "It's ok. You don't have to."

Silence settled over them once more as each drifted into their own world of thoughts. Again, Katniss was the first to break the quiet.

"Peeta?"

"Hmmm?"

"Have _you_ ever felt that way?"

Peeta half chuckled, half sighed, prompting an increasingly curious Katniss to prop herself up so she could look in his eyes. "Well? Have you?"

Peeta's chest expanded then collapsed with a heavy sigh as his fingers found their way into her hair. To smooth. To caress. To calm.

"Yes, Katniss, I've felt that way." His gaze shifted to the ceiling, valiantly trying to hide the evidence of pain in his deep hazel eyes. The attempt was unsuccessful. Feeling past grievances weigh heavily on her acutely aware heart, Katniss was tempted to stop her query then and there, but his next words captured her undivided attention.

"Especially after we returned from the Games. And before that…every day. For years now."

"Peeta…"

"You see, I've felt that way every time I've seen you and Gale head into the woods together. Or walk down the street to the Hob. Or whenever I've thought about all of the time he gets to spend with you or kiss you..."

An unexpected finger stilled Peeta's rambling confession. His uncertain gaze returned to her face, meeting hers. The sincerity, the sheer openness in her eyes nearly took his breath away and ignited a spark of something he'd never expected to feel again.

Hope.

Katniss shook her head slowly as her gray Seam eyes softened. "It isn't like that. With Gale, I mean. What you're thinking...it isn't like that."

Unable to let himself fully embrace the meaning behind her words, a bittersweet smile touched Peeta's lips and permeated his eyes. "Come on, Katniss, you don't have to lie. Never to me, ok? Especially not..." He made a sweeping gesture that included the whole of their mutual sanctuary. "…here."

"Peeta, I'm not..."

"Are you saying you don't love him?" Peeta softly interrupted her protest.

With lowered gaze, Katniss' answer came slowly, as if she was discovering answers to previously unasked questions right along with Peeta. "No. I do. But not the way you think. And not the way he'd like."

"So you've never kissed him then?"

"No. I have." Seeing Peeta's silent reaction at her confirmation, Katniss hastened to clarify her reluctant reply. "But only twice."

Peeta swallowed around the disappointment her answer conjured and instantly reverted back to the Peeta with a guarded heart. The Peeta that had resigned himself to dreams unfulfilled. "It doesn't really matter how many times, Katniss. You love him. If I'd had any doubts before, they were gone when he was whipped in the town square. And after...when you wouldn't leave his side." Peeta stated matter-of-factly, as if the dream of ever winning Katniss Everdeen was a distant memory. "And I know that even if it wasn't like that before, it could be. One day."

"We're on our way back into the arena, Peeta, I'm pretty sure that day is never going to come."

"Katniss..."

"And even if it did…" Katniss bit back the rest of her thought, her gaze shifting from the smooth, handsome planes of his face. She mentally kicked herself for having been such a fool. For only now having the courage to admit, even if only to herself, just how impossibly dear that face was.

"The first time...he kissed me before the Victory Tour and the second? I kissed him before we left for the Quell. Both times we were saying good bye." Glancing back at Peeta, she felt her cheeks warm with a sudden and fierce blush, her voice growing thick with emotion. "But kissing you, Peeta, it's never really been about that."

"What's it's been about?" Peeta's whisper was wrapped around that rare, but stubborn hope. The hope he thought he'd choked out of existence long ago. The hope that persisted beyond itself. The hope that was springing to life with every word she spoke, despite his best efforts to stamp it out.

"Survival. Need. And..." Growing increasingly uncomfortable with the subject and the feelings threatening to overwhelm her, Katniss dropped her head back onto the cradle of Peeta's shoulder before finishing her confession. "...things I can't quite put a name to."

Peeta released a shaky breath and a vague acknowledgement of her sudden and unforeseen revelation.

"I see."

He barely had a chance to register the hidden implications behind her spoken words before she piped up again.

"Peeta?"

"Hmm?"

"What do _you_ think it means?"

Peeta paused before answering, because in truth, the answer was rather complicated. Despite what he'd worked out earlier about Katniss and the non-existence of her feelings for him, there was no question now that Katniss _had_ been jealous of the attention he'd paid to Johanna. And now with this new layer of information about Gale, came a new depth of understanding that all lead to one Capitol-sized realization.

Katniss Everdeen _did _feel something for him.

Something beyond friendship.

Something not at all confined to the platonic.

And something powerful if it was making the girl who isn't 'good at saying something' chattier than a jabberjay.

But beyond that, _what_ did she feel and how much? _That _wasn't as obvious. Neither was what it all meant for their future – short as that future may be.

When Peeta finally spoke, each word was measured and full of caution. "We're hours from being back in the arena, Katniss. Are you really sure you want to talk about this?"

Katniss' bottom lip slipped between her teeth as she mulled over Peeta's question. Over the very question that had complimented her earlier anger and bolstered her now crumbled resolved.

Did she really want to go there? To explore what all of the emotions tangling together inside of her meant? Would the knowing give her the strength to do what was needed in the coming days, hours? Or would it make it that much harder to let go when the time came?

"No, I'm not sure at all."

"Then maybe we shouldn't." Peeta answered, a hint of disappointment lost in the softness of his reply.

He was right. She knew he was. Still. There was something gnawing at her that wouldn't let her let it go.

Even when it meant being vulnerable. Admitting things she never thought she would. Or opening herself to the unspeakable pain of losing him. Because she knew now that Peeta's death would destroy her should she be forced to go on living without him. But as that wasn't the plan, she had to think of Peeta. And if this moment, this truth, was the price she had to pay to make life beyond the Quell bearable for him, she would pay it a thousand times over.

She knew that like she knew her own name.

"But what if I want to?"

"And why would that be?" Peeta inquired, half out of curiosity and half out of a growing hope he was desperately trying to ignore.

"I don't know." Releasing a deep sigh, Katniss pulled out of Peeta's embrace once more to stare down into his curious, searching gaze. That gaze that was a kaleidoscope of colors and emotions, each one pulling her in deeper and deeper until she found it hard to breathe.

If it weren't for the steady strokes of his finger slipping through her hair and down her back, soothing the turmoil of emotions bubbling just under the surface of her barely-controlled façade, she might not have had the strength and courage to go on.

"Maybe I want to know there's a part of me they don't control. Or maybe..." She pulled in a ragged breath. "…maybe I need to know what it's all for. That something in all of this is...real." Katniss paused and pushed down her growing emotions with a hard swallow. "And maybe…I want you to know it too. Maybe I don't want you to believe it's always ever only been pretend."

Gazing into her questioning eyes, Peeta turned her words over in his mind before responding. He knew that no matter how unexpectedly open Katniss was being, her vulnerability and openness had a time limit. With his luck, it would end with the rising of the sun. So whatever came of this, whatever was said between then, if she were to ever embrace it, she would have to claim it – know it – for herself.

Not just because she was told.

"Alright then." Peeta reasoned. "Why don't we figure it out together?"

"How?"

"Let's start with what it doesn't mean." Peeta suggested.

Katniss' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Like what?"

"Well, for starters, it doesn't mean that we're the star-crossed lovers of District 12."

"No." Katniss agreed softly. "They belong to the Capitol and its cameras." Then quickly added, "But we _are_ engaged…"

Peeta dismissed her suggestion with a curt shake of his head, his gaze shifting to the ceiling as he concentrated on pushing away the pang of disappointment that always accompanied the thought of their forced engagement and how it came about. "That belongs to the Capitol too."

His answer, and the edge in his voice that accompanied it, seemed to unsettle her. Her guilty gaze lowered to the hand still covering his heart. The one sporting the diamond engagement ring she'd forgotten to remove after an earlier interview focused on the wedding that would never be.

"So, then what _does_ that leave us?"

Peeta's gaze snapped back to her beautiful face, her downcast gaze, the frown tugging at her lips and threatening to take them over. His hazel eyes began to sparkle as a smile took hold. "It leaves us with…you." He gently tipped her chin upward until her adorably uncertain gaze met his. His smile deepened. "Katniss Everdeen, my girl with the song."

A slow, responding smile warmed her eyes as she instantly joined his train of thought. "And you, Peeta Mellark…" She reached up and righted a few curls on his forehead before trailing her fingers lightly down his cheek. "…my boy with the bread."

Savoring her touch, Peeta spoke around the lump forming in this throat. "It means that we're…partners."

"Yes."

"Friends." Peeta proceeded, a slight hesitation in his voice.

She eagerly nodded her agreement. "Definitely."

"And I don't know quite how you managed it, because, believe me, with two brothers that are all arms and legs and mega pests to boot, I've learned the art of catching Z's wherever I can find them, but…" Peeta confessed with tilting lips. "…I meant what I said before. I can't sleep without you now."

Katniss' slight nod of acknowledgement and the knowing twinkle in her eyes made Peeta's heart swell. "Neither can I."

"I guess that means we're each other's…raggedy, old baby binkie?" Responding quickly to Katniss' comically scrunched nose and shake of her head, Peeta offered another option. "Favorite pillow?" And then another. "Life-sized teddy bear."

Chuckling at Peeta's failed attempts, Katniss filled in quickly, not at all surprised she had that one on the tip of her tongue. "How about…shelter."

"Shelter." Peeta repeated slowly.

"You know, from all of those nasty things that go bump in the night." The smile slipped from her lips at the mention of the nightmares that would forever haunt her dreams.

"Yeah." Peeta nodded his agreement, his voice taking on a tenderness that spoke more than words ever could. "I like that. I like that a lot."

"Me too." Katniss' whisper brought with it a smile.

Peeta returned her smile then took another step on the road to discovery, this time with more confidence. "I guess that also means we're allies."

Katniss shook her head slowly as she tried to wrap her mind around the term and found it didn't quite fit. "No."

"No?" An inquiring eyebrow rose.

"No." Katniss repeated, her brows knitting in concentration as her gaze shifted to the ceiling-to-floor windows that softly glowed with the lights from the Capitol below. "Allies are people you're thrown together with because you have the same end goal and no other choice. You use allies, but you don't trust them. Not really. Because if it comes down to you or them…the chances are, they won't hesitate to stab you in the back."

"And they certainly won't risk their life to save yours because they're too stubborn to keep their promises." Harkening back to their time in the cave, Peeta teased as he wrapped a strand of hair around his finger then let it slide through, only to do it again.

"_Or_…" Katniss corrected, a fresh, unexpected wave of emotion rushing into her eyes as she gazed back down at him. "…because they can't imagine a world without you. Because_ you _are their hope. Always have been."

"Katniss…" Peeta breathed her name like a sacred prayer.

It was enough to make Katniss cry.

Instead, she continued, her voice soft and trembling as she unlocked a part of herself and revealed a secret she'd hidden for years. "You know, you saved my life that day. The day you threw me the bread. Prim, mother, me…we were on the brink of starvation. And that loaf? It was the only thing that kept us alive. It was the only thing that gave me the hope that we would survive and the strength to find a way to make sure that we did."

"Katniss, I had no idea…"

"And then you did it again in the arena." Eyes downcast, Katniss continued, her voice soft and broken. "First, from the Careers and then…Peeta, I was a mess after Rue's death. I'm not even sure if I would have been able to go on. If anyone had attacked me, I don't know that I would have put up much of a fight. But when they announced the rule change, I instantly thought of you and I felt…"

"Hope?"

Katniss' gaze snapped up to meet his. A glimmer of a smile instantly sparked in her eyes.

"Hope."

The hint of a lopsided smile spread over Peeta's lips as his eyes began to glimmer with understanding and a smidgen of teasing. "So, you're saying the Girl on Fire needs me a little bit after all."

"Yeah. That's what I'm saying." Katniss confirmed as the tiny dimples at the corner of her lips made a fierce appearance. The lightness in Peeta's eyes, the heart-tugging smile on his lips, was proof enough that she'd accomplished her goal. She'd given him something precious and real to hold onto when the darkest of nights finally claimed her.

"So, you see, Peeta Mellark, we aren't just allies."

"No, I guess we aren't."

"We're…" Katniss paused struggling to find a term that would encompass the whole of who Katniss and Peeta were together without revealing her deepest suspicions. From Valley songs to loaves of bread, from dandelions to kisses. From virtual strangers to twin victors, Katniss and Peeta were forever bound together by the love found amidst the horror of The Games.

Love.

It was the only word that could accurately describe what she was feeling. And yet, to admit that to him now, knowing what she intended to sacrifice in the arena…it was too much. Too unfair. Too cruel.

"_More_ than allies." Peeta quietly supplied for her, sensing her inability to label the intangible. Given the unpredictability and finality of the coming days, what he intended to sacrifice in the arena, Peeta himself hesitated to claim more than either could afford to admit.

So he admitted what he could. With words that held the promise of tomorrow by saying nothing, but embracing everything unspoken between them.

An undeclared 'I love you' echoed in those three words and summed up everything Katniss had been feeling. And as scary as it was, Katniss found herself liking the feel—the rightness—of them as she read in Peeta's eyes the same emotions, the same thoughts and fears threatening to break her heart wide open.

Before she could respond, feather-light fingers ran down the side of her face, Peeta's softening gaze following its path as he mercifully released them both from saying more than they should. "And maybe…for now…that's all we need to know."

"Yeah. Maybe more than allies…" A smiling Katniss agreed as her head lowered to his shoulder once more, the rest of her thought whispering its way into the depths of Peeta's heart. "…is more than enough. For now…"

END


End file.
